The Atlanta University Annuals, originally known as the Exhibition of Paintings and Drawings by Negro Artists in America, was an annual juried art competition designed for Black diasporic artists, held at Atlanta University from 1942 to 1970. The winning pieces from the Annuals competition were accessioned into the art collection of Atlanta University and comprise the foundation of the CAU Art Museum's permanent collection. The Annuals attracted diasporic artists from across the United States and also received submissions from Black American migrants and expats. However, there were a few artists who were born or raised in Georgia that submitted to the exhibition. Georgia Artists in the Atlanta University Annuals showcases the contributions of artists from Georgia in the Annuals.
Curated By
Shyheim Williams
Contributing Institution
Clark Atlanta University
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June Hector was an artist from Atlanta, GA. Wild Flowers displays a landscape of flowers in multiple colors and plant organisms all surrounding a small body of water. The colors blue, red, yellow, and purple are layered throughout the painting.
Freddie Styles was an abstract painter and collage artist from Madison, Georgia. Untitled is an ink painting of three women with elongated necks, curled hair, and black-painted skin. Their faces are partially concealed as they stare straight ahead. Their torsos are white, with exposed breasts outlined in black ink.
Eva Booker was an artist from Atlanta, GA. The Road we Trod depicts Black American experiences with white supremacy during the Civil Rights Movement. The peace critiques the KKK, lynching, lunch counter discrimination, education inequality, job orientation, religious hypocrisy and Black people's long march toward freedom in spite of.
Frederick C. Flemister was an artist from Jackson, GA. The Mourners is an expressionist painting that portrays a group of Black people mourning a lynching victim. It emulates the scene of Jesus’ crucifixion, showing two veiled women holding the victim while three others mourn separately. There is a cut noose hanging from a tree in the background.
Eva Booker was an artist from Atlanta, GA. The Girls is an abstract depiction of a group of girls with blonde hair, red bikini tops, and low-waisted skirts.
Gilbert H. Hatcher was a painter from Augusta, GA. Spring Folic is an abstract painting with a green background. The color palette includes hues of yellow, red, orange, green, white, and black. Gestural strokes of paint are layered to create a feeling of nature and springtime.
Dr. Arthur L. Britt was an artist and educator from Cuthbert, GA. Society Wheels is an abstraction that uses black and white to enact visual chaos and composition. The inclusion of "KKK" positions it as a critique of American race relations and racial violence.
Jack Adams was an artist from Atlanta, GA. Seated Figure depicts a wearied woman resting after domestic duties. She sits in a green chair in front of an ironing board, dressed in a purple dress, blue headdress, stockings, and brown boots.
Robert A. Daniel was an artist from Tallahassee, FL. Seated Figure is a portrait of a Black woman sitting in a green chair in front of an ironing board. She seems to be resting from doing domestic labor.
James Adair was an artist from Atlanta, GA. A prayer Meeting is an abstract depiction of a group of people practicing a religious ritual. Adair uses broad brush strokes of green, red, and yellow to create this scene of piety.
Dr. Arthur L. Britt was an artist and educator from Cuthbert, GA. Poverty Toy Chest is an installation that displays items impoverished children use for recreational play. It shows the disparity and ingenuity of people with little resources.
James H. Malone was a graphic artist, cartoonist, writer, and painter from Winterville, GA. My Classmate is a portrait drawing of a young Black boy in a school uniform. He sits in a chair with his hands on his lap, looking at the bottom left corner.
Frederick C. Flemister was an artist from Jackson, GA. Man with Brush is a mannerist self-portrait depicting him in front of an arched window at an empty canvas. Outside of the window is a landscape scene featuring a lake, rolling hillsides, and mountains in the distance.
Thomas Jefferson Flanagan was an artist and activist from Florence, GA. Fishing on the Quarters is a landscape painting with a large tree and a person fishing from a body of water. The tree and fisherman are in the foreground, while a wooden gate borders an acreage of colorful crops painted linearly.
Wilmer Jennings was a printmaker, painter, and jeweler from Atlanta, GA. Dead Tree depicts a small landscape of a large leafless tree and a barn with a gate. Wilmer’s hatching technique creates a range of both shadows and light throughout the scenery. The tree sitting in the foreground has a dark tone emphasizing it as the main subject.
